In July 1974, after a one-year national search, 52-year-old Clarence H. Schauer, Ph.D., was named the college's second president.

An engineer by training, he had acquired administrative experience in community colleges, most recently at William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, Ill., where he had served as vice president of academic affairs.

As he took the reins of CTI, Dr. Schauer stated that "CTI can become a resource to the community, training people for available jobs, having a role in public service and offering programs in the cultural arts.

"There is a growing labor mart with a necessary labor talent. Training people to meet the needs of business and industry will be CTI's role in the growing city," he said.

Interviewed by Betty Daft of the The Columbus Dispatch, Dr. Schauer asserted that the college and the city should be "mutually supportive." No doubt he welcomed the attendance of Columbus Mayor Tom Moody, Chancellor James Norton and state Budget Director Howard Collier on July 16, 1975, for the dedication of the Educational Resources Center and the Health and Administration building. The former cost $1.5 million and the latter $4.5 million.

The quartet also broke ground for the $4 million Business and Automotive Facility. This was in keeping with the Institute's Master Plan, developed by the design firm of McDonald, Cassell and Bassett, which called for accommodating "up to 5,000 students" on a 34-acre campus.

"These physical facilities have thus far kept pace with the student interest in the offerings and services of the college," said Schauer at the ceremony. "With the completion of the additional buildings, we will house the programming and services needs for the expected 5,000-plus individual students at that time."

Schauer believed that the interests of the greater Columbus community would be better served by expanding CTI's mission to that of a "general college." In another decade, that vision would be fulfilled.

Schauer served as President from July 1974 to June 1978. He eventually settled in Springfield, Mo., where he passed away on December 23, 2003, at the age of 81.